


i’m glad i met you

by meikun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nervousness, Rare Pairings, Sharing a Bed, Sleeping Together, idk what else to add oops, kogane has a Not-Optimal family situation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28037385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meikun/pseuds/meikun
Summary: koganegawa is clueless sometimes; it’s really not surprising for a self-certified idiot. aone, a more careful observer of life, sticks by his side to accompany him on their shared endeavor called “growing up.”koganegawa’s progression of feelings towards aone, and vice versa, in a series of events.
Relationships: Aone Takanobu/Koganegawa Kanji
Kudos: 19





	i’m glad i met you

**Author's Note:**

> hello hq fanfic nation may i introduce to you: aogane or aogawa or kogaone or aokoga or whatever shipname you refer to it as  
> this may or may not be my biggest comfort ship and i may or may not have spent way too much time writing this OOPS  
> in celebration of ep 24 of hq to the top i decided to finally finish this fic that i’d been procrastinating on ,, here it is ??  
> i’m highkey proud of this and i hope that, regardless of how rare this ship is, some people enjoy this

“I can’t even bother to count anymore, Aone, it’s useless,” Kogane groaned. “Seriously, it feels like every girl I meet, it just… _. _ ” He gestured a broken heart dramatically with his hands, laying his head down on the desk. “And yet, I still try over and over again,” he mumbles, his eyebrows furrowing in thought.

Koganegawa has had several girlfriends over the course of junior high, and three in his first year of high school. Of which, his most recent had just broken up with him. Despite his several experiences with being dumped and general heartbreak, he couldn’t help but feel very,  _ very _ distraught, each and every time. He’s, to say the least, absolutely oblivious to everything romantic and romance. Basically, don’t come to him for relationship advice. (You may be inclined to, but seriously. Don’t.)

Each time he’s (inevitably) dumped by a girl, he comes to Aone for a shoulder to lean on. Of course, Aone doesn’t mind. He cherishes the fact that  _ anyone _ would come to him for comfort and a safe place, let alone someone like Koganegawa. Listening in, he’s gained much insight on what goes on in both Kogane’s romantic life and other aspects of his life. Usually, these one-sided-friend-therapy sessions took place during lunch, in an empty classroom.

Aone looked over at Kogane, who was going on about some mundane topic, as usual. He’d never really taken a good look at Kogane. Usually, he would get quick glances during matches or practice, but, never a good, long look. Aone enjoyed how expressive Kogane was whenever he spoke, how he moved his head around often, how gleeful his expressions were, how his oddly styled black fringe swayed whenever he made a particularly forceful movement. Honestly, Kogane was an interesting person to look at, in a good way.

“...I practiced so hard that day, my arms felt like they literally were on fire, legit.” 

Thankfully, Aone managed to zone back in before Kogane noticed. But, frankly, he probably wouldn’t have noticed either way. “Lunchtime ends soon,” Aone noted, stopping Koganegawa in the midst of one of his rambles. “Aw.” He pouted, gathering his boxes and trash. “Well, I’ll continue tomorrow, probably. Maybe even at practice today, if I get the time?” He turns to Aone, waiting for a nod. Promptly, Aone nodded. 

“Well, see youuuuu!” Kogane chirped, waving as he left the classroom. 

Aone gulped as he was alone, pushing back the thought, the feeling, the oncoming hurricane in his heart. Though it was an expected thing to enjoy the presence of your friends, perhaps it wasn’t mere “broship” (in the words of Futakuchi,) to feel this  _ specific _ way towards them. The  _ specific _ way couldn’t really be described, however, Aone knew what it  _ wasn’t _ . It probably wasn’t just a platonic yearning, to say the least. (Is platonically yearning even a thing?)

  
  
  
  
  
  


The Dateko volleyball team decided to have a sleepover at Futakuchi’s house. Of course, Kogane had to go. 

Internally, he tried pushing back the thought that, maybe, he only wanted to go because Aone might’ve been there. He could stand to go home again, even if he really didn’t want to. (Goddamn, he didn’t want to go home to his parents arguing for the 3rd time that week over some bullshit. But, he could stand it somewhat.) The way his heart beat faster and faster in his chest the closer he got to Futakuchi’s house was something Kogane assumed was excitement. (Though, he wasn’t really sure.)

Softly, he smiled as he saw Aone sitting by a wall. (Poor him, he seemed mildly uncomfortable.) While the rest of the team (that could show up, anyways,) played a variety of games and did idiotic things, Kogane found himself by Aone. It was uncharacteristic, almost, for Kogane to be away from all the action.

For the rest of the night, Kogane and Aone sat quietly together, exchanging the occasional bit of chit chat. (Well,  _ exchange _ wouldn’t be the right word; Kogane would say something, then Aone would simply nod in response.) Of course, Kogane would occasionally take part in a truth or dare round, or a round of pillow fighting, but most of his time was spent sitting by Aone. (Futakuchi told Kogane not to worry about noise; his parents wouldn’t care. Kogane wasn’t sure what that implied.) 

Slowly, their teammates began to retire to bed. They mumbled or snickered their casual good nights, before turning over and falling fast asleep. Eventually, it was just the two that were awake. “Aone, d’you think we should sleep?” Kogane whispered, not wanting to wake up the fast asleep Onagawa nearby. Aone shook his head, but put down his book. He stood up, and made his way to the door, gesturing for Kogane to follow along.

Following him down the halls of Futakuchi’s house, Kogane made sure to be extra quiet. Aone seemed to be familiar with these unknown halls, so he trusted Aone. However, what surprised him most, was that Aone was leading him outdoors. Turning back once more to make sure Kogane was following, he once again gestured to Kogane to follow. He shut the front door behind him as softly as he could.

At that point, Aone moved quickly through bushes and trees, looking behind his shoulder every once in a while to make sure he didn’t lose his junior. Kogane was, to say the least, confused. Very. But, he wasn’t complaining. Technically, this  _ was _ a form of sneaking out. (Isn’t that a fun thing to do?) All he hoped for was that Aone wouldn’t murder him in the middle of the woods. (Which… Uncomfortably, Kogane couldn’t stop thinking about that situation. He knew his senior was a gentle boy, and he would  _ never _ , but…)

After what felt like forever trekking along in the wooded area, Aone finally stopped abruptly. Kogane briefly collided into his back, stumbling backwards as he tried to see where they were. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the darkness around them. “Do you know the way back from here?” He asked, breaking the long period of silence. A simple nod was the only response. Silently, Kogane let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. Aone stepped to the side, gesturing for him to look at the sight in front of them. 

Kogane stepped forward. Quickly, he realized that Aone led him to a cliff, overhanging the town they lived in. “Oh,” was all that he could say. It was a nice sight, seeing all of the buildings and trees and structures and this and that and— And, his mind was racing. It was a thrilling experience. But completely unexpected. He wasn’t sure what to expect at the sleepover, but, surely, he was pleased with what he’s experiencing.

“This is pretty, Aone,” Kogane said, staring at the view in front of him. Aone, who was standing behind Kogane, smiled softly. He was glad. 

For the majority of the time that Aone had known Futakuchi, he’d always go outside and visit this particular spot alone. Even Futakuchi himself wasn’t aware of this spot, which was fine with Aone. It was a scenic spot, one that Aone visited whenever he wanted to wind down or just wanted to be by himself. Often, he found himself disappearing and reappearing mysteriously to this spot whenever Futakuchi invited him over. While Futakuchi never questioned him about it, he sure was confused on where he went. This particular occasion, with Koganegawa, was the first time Aone had brought anyone else to this spot. 

Soon, Aone alerted Kogane that they’d better return soon, with a soft hum. He pointed back to the woods. They returned back to the house silently, and reentered Futakuchi’s bedroom, as if nothing happened. Wordlessly, but with a mild tension between them. 

They soon fell asleep. At least, Aone did. Kogane laid awake, staring at the ceiling. He let out a silent exhale, glancing at Aone’s silhouette in the dark. It slightly rose and fell as he breathed, deep asleep. Kogane wanted to reach his hand out and press his hand against Aone’s back, feeling his heartbeat. It was an intimate thing, it made Kogane’s own heartbeat quicken the slightest bit. He wanted to feel his pulse beat with Aone’s; he wanted to do it.

But, he didn’t.

He fell asleep, replaying that night in his mind over, and over.

  
  
  
  
  


Aone watched as Kogane entered the classroom, for their usual lunch together. “It’s dusty in here,” he noted, “someone better get sweeping.” He laughed. Aone couldn’t help but smile, ever so slightly. Koganegawa’s laugh wasn’t a light, insincere laugh; it was deep in his chest, somewhat breathy yet full. Genuine. Aone liked it. He admired Kogane’s laugh. 

Kogane sat down, taking out his lunch. “Today, I think I did pretty well on my test. Ah, some questions I weren’t so confident in, but some, I’m  _ sure _ I got correct.” He grinned proudly. Aone nodded. He watched Kogane as he continued rambling, spewing out whatever was on his mind that he didn’t get to talk about often. 

Aone admired Kogane as a whole, really. He was enthusiastically charming, energetic in ways Aone couldn’t understand, and admittedly naïve. How Kogane was so carefree in his life confused and amazed Aone. Maybe it was because Kogane wasn’t advised to live as carefully as him; after all, Aone was always told to live cautiously and peacefully, because of his (rather terrifying) stature and face. Ouch. And yet, Aone could’ve completely ignored that. He could absolutely be a raging idiot teenager, just like Kogane or Futakuchi or that shrimpy Hinata or the infamous Oikawa or  
  


But he wasn’t. He always held himself back from really living the teenage experience; as told by his friends. Aone admired Kogane, because he was a teenager, living his life. 

By the time Aone zoned back in from his thoughts, Kogane was going on about his ex-girlfriend(s). Frankly, Aone was somewhat jealous. That, of course, Kogane could even ask out and date another person— let alone several, multiple, many— over the span of a few years. (But, it wasn’t a complete impossibility that he was also jealous of the girls who got to date Kogane.) 

“Aone, I don’t even know if I’ll find  _ the one. _ All I want is a hand to hold, waxing poetic romance stuff.” He complained, picking at his food. “I mean, all the girls I’ve dated, I’ve never really been into, sorta? It’s always been a, ‘oh, I like you, I like you too! Let’s go out, yay,’ type thing. But, it’s never really been anything serious.” He looked at Aone, an indiscernible expression on his face. “If I only counted  _ serious  _ relationships, _ ”  _ he said, putting serious in quotation marks, “I would’ve been in no relationships.” He laughed again.

Aone nodded. He’d never really thought about romance and relationships, or anything of that sort. It was hard to even make friends, dammit. It obviously stemmed from the earlier note; he had always been told to live carefully because of his (terrifying) appearance and size. So, the concept of romantic relationships somewhat confused him. But, as it seems, Kogane was no stranger to these sort of things. (Maybe he could teach Aone about them.) 

As the lunch bell rang, Kogane leaned over Aone’s desk as he left. “Hey, wanna walk home after school with me?” He asked, a sincere gleam in his eyes. Aone nodded, before shooing Kogane off; the last thing he wanted was to make Kogane late. “Well, see yooooooou!” 

Kogane always said ‘see yooou,’ extending the you, as he left. It became something that Aone found endearing. He hoped Kogane would never stop saying it, frankly. Aone wouldn’t mind seeing him all over again each day. He wanted to, if anything. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Aone looked out the window, pushing himself further into his train seat. Avoiding eye contact with anyone passing by, he, as per usual, just wanted the train to hurry up already. He hated being on the train; more specifically, his general discomfort being  _ on _ it. He felt grossly out of place, isolated. As usual, the seat beside him was empty. 

Growing up, his mother always told him to live cautiously. Hold back, don’t be greedy, don’t be selfish. (“It’s for your own good, Takanobu,” she said.) Obviously, it was because of his (again, rather menacing) stature and face. He had been living by that small bit of advice ever since. And, he might as well live by it for the rest of his life. (If anything, he probably will.) 

Yet, he felt a deep plunge in his stomach, realization hitting him. 

He was lonely. He hated to admit it, but he had to come to it eventually. His team was the closest he got to friends. But, his only two “actual” friends were Futakuchi and Koganegawa. He’s grateful for them, obviously. (Sometimes, he wonders if they’re only friends with him out of pity.) But, nothing hurt like the dull ache of loneliness. He fidgeted with the strap of his bag, the ambient shaking of the train soothing him. Maybe that was the  _ one _ thing he liked about the train.

Already, Aone missed talking to Kogane. Even if he barely spoke, (or didn’t at all,) he found it comforting to be with him. Usually, his junior did all of the talking, and that was fine with him. Frankly, he felt as if Kogane saw him as a friend. A real one. His mind went to Kogane as a whole; wondering what he was doing, wondering if he’s doing his homework (like Futakuchi yelled at him to,) and multitudes of other things. Most importantly, Aone hoped that he was doing alright. It seemed dramatic, having only seen him about 20 minutes ago, but it was true. 

Everyday, he awaited to see and listen to Kogane and what he had to say. Aone enjoyed watching him as he spoke, listening to his voice speak endlessly, gaining more insight on his thoughts and life.... etc. He could be with Kogane for the rest of his life, and he wouldn’t mind. (If anything, he somewhat enjoyed the thought of that. The thought of having to eventually depart with Kogane made him sad.) Aone looked at his hands, tucked into fists, resting upon his legs. 

Tragically, he loved Kogane. It was inevitable, from the moment he met Kogane, to everything that has happened between them. It wasn’t love at first sight, moreso, it was love at second sight. Aone knew that it all was going to end in these feelings, (just not immediately. He didn’t do anything about it, either.) 

Tragically, he loved Kogane.

Tragically, he had no plan of action about his feelings.

He sat there, looking out the window again. He was going to figure it out eventually, somehow. Lingering in the back of his mind, Aone realized that there was an all-too-real possibility that these feelings were unrequited. He frowned slightly. (He didn’t want to think about it too much; he spared himself the premature devastation.)

More than anything, more than ever, he wanted for Kogane to be by his side. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


After a rigorous study session at Aone’s house, Koganegawa nudged him. “Hey, is it alright if I, uh, stay over for tonight?” He asked, fidgeting with his hands. “It’s- it’s alright if I can’t,” he sputtered.

Kogane hated going home; it was always coming back to either his parents hellishly fighting, or both of them passed out from something. Sometimes, he wondered if they even noticed he came home some days. (It’s not like he was severely distraught about it; he knows there’s people worse off out there. Yet, he just wishes it was a little different. A lot different.) 

All in all, it was safe to say that his household was absolute ass. (Kogane didn’t know why his parents didn’t just divorce already, it was stupid. He’d just text them that he was sleeping at a friend’s tonight; they probably didn’t care. Really.) 

He was embarrassed to even ask Aone to stay over, especially since it was out of the blue and without context. (Maybe he should just suck it up and head home already, the train’s departing soon.) 

Aone nodded simply, and turned back to his textbook. 

Internally, Kogane was euphoric. But, externally, he simply laughed out of relief. “Thanks, sorry for bothering you, I’ll pay you back somehow…” He pondered. 

Aone allowed him to sleep in the same bed that night, despite Kogane offering to just sleep on the floor. Nonetheless, it was an act of awkward kindness that he accepted. (To spare the embarrassment to the best of their ability, they slept on opposite sides of the bed. To be honest, neither of them were sure if that alleviated anything.) 

Laying in the dark, barely under the covers, Kogane never realized how hard it was to fall asleep sometimes. (He wondered how Aone could sleep so easily, so deeply, so soon.) Flipping onto his back, he looked up at the ceiling. Brushed by dim light as the moon shined through the window, it was the only smidge of light in the room. It made Kogane wonder, how long  _ has _ he been awake? Surely, he must’ve been asleep by now. But he wasn’t. 

His mind went to the sleepover, from a few weeks ago. Firstly, that period where Aone led him to that hidden spot nearby Futakuchi’s house. He ought to visit it again soon, now that he knows it exists. Secondly, and mostly occupying his mind, was that silent stretch of time after they returned to Futakuchi’s room. His current position reminded him of it. Laying beside Aone, unable to fall asleep, replaying moments from the past. Kogane always hung onto the past, whether he wanted to admit it or not. That’s why he still thought about his girlfriends from junior high, or the girl who dumped him a few weeks prior. It’s not like he really cared that they did, he didn’t really  _ like _ them in that way. But, still, he found himself spiraling because of it. Even though the past was behind him, it really seemed as if he could never run from it. 

He turned over again, this time facing Aone. Even in the dark, he could see faint shadows of Aone’s face. Admittedly, Kogane thought he was somewhat attractive, oddly enough. (It’s not like anyone has to know.) His gaze traced Aone’s figure in the shadows, softly breathing. He wondered what Aone dreamt about, if he was dreaming right now. Kogane hoped he had good dreams. He deserved it. 

Despite Kogane sleeping in the same bed as Aone, staring right at him as he was asleep, he felt impossibly far away. They were, quite frankly, as vulnerable as they could be in that moment. Yet, Kogane only stared, he stared and felt a sense of loneliness, small, but deep within his gut. It didn’t feel good. He gulped, as slowly and as silently as he could, reaching his arm across the bed. His hand, mere inches from Aone’s face, rested right there. (Close enough.)

  
  


He smiled, with no particular reason. 

He liked Aone. 

Not,  _ like  _ as in how he  _ liked _ his past girlfriends. That  _ like _ didn’t feel the same as how he liked Aone. He  _ liked _ liked Aone, stupidly. And, even if his heart felt like it could beat out of his chest, maybe he loved him. No matter how close Kogane got to Aone physically, it’s not like he would ever get romantically intimate with him. Emotionally intimate. Not in the way Kogane wanted, not in the way he needed. 

He didn’t mind, really. Kogane didn’t mind if he never got to  _ be _ with Aone in that way. He wasn’t even sure if he was ever going to confess. Simply put, being there with Aone was fine with him. His company through the endeavor of growing up, was more than enough. (He just had to trek through and manage these feelings, somehow.)

He fell asleep, staring at a boy who he maybe loved; so close, yet just out of reach. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Walking home with each other was a common occurrence, especially on days where practice was particularly brutal. The two bonded over their aching muscles and bruised arms, and this, and that; manly, wasn’t it? 

“My sets are still too high, it’s pissing me off,” Kogane complained. He rubbed his palms, stinging from hitting the ball so much. “I’m still thinking about that Kageyama guy from Karasuno, he doesn’t even tape his fingers!” Glancing at his taped fingers, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. “Maybe I should start doing what he does, finger exercises or whatever. Everyone says I won’t keep up the routine, and they’re probably right, but…” He narrowed his eyes, humming in thought. 

“Ah, well.” Kogane shrugged, dropping his hands to his sides once more. 

Kogane wasn’t really the most observant person, meaning, small details often pass by him often. Tiny acts of kindness and intimacy often pass by him without notice. To some, he’s an oblivious idiot. To Aone, however, it’s an opportunity to be kinder than he ever would to anyone else.

Brushing his fingers against Kogane’s hands, Aone offered to hold his hand. “Hm?” Kogane looked at him. He gently linked his fingers with the blond, evoking a nervous reaction. “Aone, people are gonna think we’re dating.” 

Slightly, Aone wanted that. (He adored the thought of calling Kogane  _ his _ .) But, most importantly, he wanted to touch Kogane, whether it was romantic or not. Naturally, it was a human bond instinct. He shrugged, taking Kogane’s hand with a gentle grip. “ _ Nobody’s gonna care, girls do it all the time,” _ He mumbled, thinking of a bullshit excuse off the top of his head. Kogane chuckled, “okay, fair enough.” Shyly, he also latched onto Aone’s hand.

Aone felt Kogane’s hands; how (surprisingly) large they were, how tape wrapped around his fingers smoothly, how each curve and angle on his hand rested perfectly into Aone’s own hand. He had really, really nice hands, Aone liked that. Though it was a cold day, their hands, locked together, were warm. 

Stopping by the end of the sidewalk, Kogane let go slowly. “I go straight from here, thanks for walking with me,” he grinned. Aone nodded, bowing silently. With a faint laugh and a quick bow in return, Kogane ran off into the distance. At the end of the sidewalk, Aone watched, slowly watching that odd eccentric boy disappear into the horizon.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Pressing a gentle hand to his cheek, Aone sat down in front of him. Separated from people, they were against a lone wall at their venue. After a bitter defeat, their team was obviously upset; however, Kogane seemed to be much more troubled than anyone. 

A singular tear ran down his cheek, leaving a wet path on his face. He looked straight at Aone. A dim, sad smile traced his lips. “Sorry,” he said, a slight laugh in his voice. “Sorry,” he said again. “Sorry,” he repeated over and over, an endless wall of apologies suffocating him. Aone looked at him, wordless, but deeply sympathetic. “I thought we would win, I really did, and we were gonna go to na-” Kogane gulped. “We didn’t, and, I- I think that it’s my fault.”

He sighed and wiped his face, his eyes tearing up further. “I’ve let you down, haven’t I?” 

Aone stared at him, eyes wide. He slowly lowered his hand down to Kogane’s shoulder, rubbing it softly. Looking away, he subtly shook his head. (He could never let him down, even if he tried.) Kogane began to quiver, suddenly gripping his hands on Aone’s shoulders. “Tell me,  _ tell me, Aone. _ I don’t want you to be silent anymore,” He aske softly, swallowing hard. (He just wanted Aone to answer him, this once. It would be enough.) Aone remained still and silent, unsure of what to do.

“ _ Answer me,”  _ Kogane asked again, letting out a singular weak sob. Pathetically, he slumped against Aone’s body, letting his arms slowly slip and fall. Aone slightly gasped, feeling his tears soak his jacket. Resting his arms around Kogane, he pulled him closer. It was alarmingly intimate, alarmingly vulnerable. Aone knew that they’d better hurry up and leave, before they ended up being lectured by their coach or left behind. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from Kogane, not just yet. It was a surreal experience, seeing him so vulnerable in Aone’s arms. It was a rare, and unfortunately heartbreaking sight. 

His body shook with each sob, mangled pleads coming from him. (“Please, Aone, answer me. I need you to tell me,” he said.) Aone shook his head more visibly this time, looking at Kogane. “ _ Say it, I need you to tell me that I didn’t fuck up everything,” _ Kogane choked, wiping his face with his sleeve. He weakly pried himself off of Aone, trying to steady his breathing. 

What was worse than being defeated, was letting down the guy you-maybe-probably-definitely-were-in-love-with. Depressingly, Kogane found himself less distraught by the fact that they lost to Seijoh, and more distraught about the fact that he might’ve let Aone down. Not even Dateko as a whole, specifically Aone. Kogane knew this was ridiculous, idiotic, stupid, and all the other dumb words out there. It was fucking stupid for him to value whatever the hell his crush thought over his team. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to just  _ get over it. _ It mattered to him, even if it was stupid from an outside perspective. It  _ was _ the end of the world, if Aone was disappointed in him. Not even angry; simply disappointed. (The bitter, dull ache of disappointment hurts worse than the shallow cut of rage.)

“... You didn’t do anything wrong,” Aone finally spoke, snapping him out of his throughts. 

Kogane opened his mouth, eyebrows furrowing. 

“You’ve never let me down, you’re alright.” He softly interrupted, scooting back from Kogane. His arms slowly trailed down the younger boy’s back, weakly pressing against his tense muscles.

Koganegawa let out a long exhale. He leaned back his head, breathing heavily. “I’m tired, Aone.” Exhaustion hit him hard, aching in his muscles, fogging up his mind. He shut his eyes tight, wanting to disappear to god-knows-where. Being brought back to the present by a nudge, he opened his eyes to see Aone’s hand, offering to help him up. He hesitated, before taking it and standing up.

Even after he stood up, he didn’t let go of Aone’s hand. (Frankly, it seemed like Aone didn’t mind.) “Do you wanna sit with me? On the ride back?” Kogane asked, rubbing his thumb gently on his hand. He nodded, the most subtle smile forming on his face. 

Kogane looked at him from the corner of his eye, feeling his pulse beat in sync with his.

  
  
  
  
  
  


“Hi,” Kogane greeted, leaning on Aone’s desk. 

Once again, it was lunchtime. The two continued their routine of having lunch together in classroom A-2. 

Aone looked up at Kogane, confused as to why he didn’t sit down at the desk beside him. He lightly pressed a hand against Kogane’s chest, slightly feeling his heartbeat. He gulped. Seeing Kogane this close, directly looking at him, made Aone nervous. Something about the way Kogane had a slight curve to his lips, his eyes had a slightly different gleam to them, and his closeness to Aone… (It made him go wild, internally. Externally, he had no clue what to do.) 

Kogane leaned forward more and made an attempt at a kiss. Pressing his lips against Aone’s, he pulled away as quickly as he came in. His nose softly bumped against Aone’s, (“sorry,” he murmured, giggling.) He looked at Aone, waiting for a reaction. But, all he got was a shocked expression. “... Sorry, I thought- Sorry,” he sputtered, internally facepalming. ( _ What an idiot move, you dumb fuck, he probably only sees you as a close friend, what kind of friend kisses you on the lips randomly? What in fuck’s name did you just do?) _

Suddenly, Aone’s hand tugged at Kogane’s shirt collar, pulling him closer. He softly gasped, stepping closer to the desk because of the force. (Kogane forgot how strong Aone was.) Face to face, he looked at Kogane, skimming his face, before stopping at his lips. He leaned forward and kissed him, as soft as daylight. 

“You taste like strawberries.”

“I ate strawberries this morning.” 

Aone leaned in again, a longer kiss this time. He hummed. “It tastes good.” Kogane smiled, looking at how his face slowly turned a faint red. He felt himself warming up, too. “I wanna taste you, too,” he laughed, kissing Aone again. “milk,” he noted, laughing. ”Strawberry milk, I thought I saw you drinking it the other day.” He smiled fully, feeling his nervousness ease. “It tastes good, too.” Aone blushed, smiling nervously. Kogane pressed his forehead against Aone’s, letting out a gentle laugh as he sighed in relief. “Hi.” He closed his eyes, smiling. Frankly, he expected the attempt at kissing to go a lot worse. (He was pleasantly surprised; he was glad he ate strawberries that morning.) 

“... We’d better start eating now,” Aone let go of Kogane’s collar. The underclassman slowly lifted his head, and nodded quickly. As he adjusted his mussed shirt, he stumbled a bit to the seat beside Aone. Sitting down, he looked at him. “You- That- that was my first ki...” He didn’t finish, flushing red. “... Me too,” Aone replied, “and I’m glad that you were mine.” 

Kogane laughed nervously, a giddy warmth bubbling in his heart. “Oh, fuck,” he ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t really know what to do, Aone.” All he  _ could _ do was stare at him and yearn to kiss him again and again and again and again; yet, he felt as if he should be doing something more. (Kogane could tell Aone didn’t know what to do either, he couldn’t place any blame on him.) He felt his heart beating against his chest again. His mind went back to that sleepover at Futakuchi’s house, that night at Aone’s house, the day after they bitterly lost to Seijoh. He smiled, he smiled at the mere fact that Aone was  _ his, from the beginning. _

“Aone, do you think that we could...?” He trailed off, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He raised his hand slightly, motioning between the both of them.

“We’ll see,” Aone replied, his voice equally as soft.  
  
  


“Sorry,” Kogane laughed after he bumped his nose against Aone’s. He ran a hand through his short hair, white like snow. “I like the way your hair kinda… tuffs up, here.” Kogane looked back at Aone’s face, a grin forming on his face. “How was your day?” He asked. A pink petal slowly fell from above them, coming from the blooming blossom trees. It was almost cliche, like those cheesy romance movies girls loved to watch. (Admittedly, those were Kogane’s guilty pleasure.) With the blooming trees being scattered upon campus, Aone and Koganegawa often met by one after school or practice. 

“Good.”

“Good, good. I was overthinking about my future at practice today, I was thinking about how good my sets would be in the future and how I could practice, but I started thinking about my future in general, like, as a third year and going to college or going on a professional team, and it was a lot of thinking,” Kogane rambled, still playing with Aone’s hair. Aone nodded, listening. The two slowly began walking down the pavement, towards the gates. 

“And I was thinking about you a lot, too.” Kogane chuckled sheepishly, looking away. “I don’t really know how this is gonna go, since, uh…” He gulped, and looked back at Aone. “You remember when I said that all of my past relationships haven’t been serious? Just weird kiddy stuff?” He asked, his hands slipping into his pockets. Aone nodded, his eyes looking at Kogane in curiosity. His junior flushed. “Well, you’re kinda my first real, serious, actual person I’m into and dating, and it’s really different, so,” he explained. 

“I don’t know how it’s gonna go, that’s the thing.” Kogane sighed. Aone looked straight forward, “me neither.” 

Kogane stared at him in silence, before laughing. “I should’ve expected that.” A hand slid out of his pocket and took Aone’s hand. “I don’t know, and I think it’s okay to not know.” He squeezed his hand. “As long as you’re here, I think I’ll be okay. I don’t really know what I’m gonna do, when I’m a second year, and a third year, and from there. I’m kinda scared to grow up, I think you’ve noticed that,” he giggled. “But, again, if you’re here with me, I don’t mind growing up, even if it’s scary.”

Aone waited before responding. “I’ll accompany you, as always.” Kogane looked at him, a nervous, giddy warmth growing in his chest. How lucky was he to have met Aone? Incredibly. Impossibly. That damned Hinata, Tsukki, Kageyama, and so forth; so many new people passed in blurry figures in his mind. However, who he wanted the most, who he loved the most, of all of these new faces, was Aone. 

“I’m glad I met you.”

  
  
  
  



End file.
